The fast-food giant has built its success on ideas that bubble up from anywhere. This Aussie McDonald's is emblematic of the global restaurant chain's new design direction. But how did it get to here? Take a look back at how the design of McDonald's has changed over the years.

Ray Kroc opens a McD's in Des Plaines, Illinois, adding two attention-grabbing golden arches. "One of the original customers told me that he had to check it out to see what it was all about," says company archivist Mike Bullington.

A franchise in Matteson, Illinois, introduces the French, four-sided roof -- a signal that sit-down dining has gone mainstream. The design is replicated for two generations and imitated by McDonald's competitors.

A franchisee in Chula Vista, California, puts his own twist on the "You Deserve a Break Today" campaign, offering tired parents the first playground. It becomes a symbol for dining "democratization," Bullington says. "Just bring the whole family."

The first drive-through prototype? A franchisee in Sierra Vista, Arizona, skirts an Army regulation requiring fatigue-clad soldiers to stay in their cars by knocking out a wall in his kitchen to serve them.

Designer Burgers: How McDonald's Has Evolved With Time

The fast-food giant has built its success on ideas that bubble up from anywhere. This Aussie McDonald's is emblematic of the global restaurant chain's new design direction. But how did it get to here? Take a look back at how the design of McDonald's has changed over the years.